Fluid-controlling apparatus



1,611,371 7 A. PRIESTMAN FLUID CONTROLLING APPARATUS Dec. 21 1926.

led Oct. 23, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I IWQIZZLOZ} I I h ngfifn 6, 2 I

- A. PRIESTMAN FLUID CONTROJJLING APPARATUS iled Oct 23, 1922 3Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 21, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT PRIESTMAN, OF PHILADELPHIA, EENNSYLVANIA.

FLUID GONTEOLLING APPARATUS.

Application filed October 23, 1922. Serial No. 596,525.

utilization of air under pressure, which shall require a reduced volumeof air as compared with similar prior systems and at the same time behighly efficient in utilizing such air.

Another object of my invention is to provide a simple, reliable systemof apparatus for alternately supplying air under pressure to andexhausting it from a container, a machine or other device for storing orutilizing it.

I also desire to provide a system having the above characteristics,especially designed for automatically controlling the times during whichair under pressure is admitted to or exhausted from any device capableof receiving or utilizing the same.

These objects and other advantageous ends I attain as hereinafter setforth, ref erence being had to the accompanying drawings, in which.

Fig. l is a diagrammatic elevation partly in vertical section,illustrating a system of apparatus for carrying out my invention;

Figs. 2 and 3 respectively are vertical sections illustrating the detailconstruction of portions of the apparatus shown in'Figi 1; and

Fig. 4 is a vertical section, to some extent diagrammatic. illustratinga modified form of my invention.

In Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, 1 represents a tank or other source of airunder pressure and 2 a device to which it is desired air shall beintermittently supplied and thereafter exhausted. For the sake ofillustration this is shown as a tank having a pipe 3 through which aliquid such as sewage will be admitted and this pipe includes a checkvalve 4. Also connected to the tank 2 is a discharge pipe 5 throughwhich liq-- uid is to be forced by air under pressure.

For governing the delivery of air to and its exhaust from the tank 2,Iprovide a pipe 6 leading from the air supply tank 1 through a valve, 7to a cross fitting 8. From the latter a pipe 9 leads to the device ortank '2 and through a second branch 10 said fitting is also connected toan exhaust valve 11 opening tothe atmosphere. Through a fourth branch 12the fitting 8 is connected to a casing 13 havinga diaphragm 14 thereinwhich through a rod or other suitable connection 15, governs the movableelement 16 of the valve 7, the rising of this'diaphragm when air underpressure is admitted below itcausing openingof the said valve,

member.

The exhaust valve 11 includes a valve element 17 preferably sopositioned as to tend to open under the action of gravity and acted onby a rod 18 extendinginto a casing 19 having a diaphragm 20. Fixed tothe rod is a collar or equivalent structure 21 acted on by a spring 22tending to move said rod into a position permitting opening of the valvemember 17. A third diaphragm casing 23 is also provided and hasassociatcd with it a pilot valve 24 including an element 25 designed tobe moved to its open position by a rod 26 actuated by the diaphragm 27in said casing. This rod has a collar 28 acted on by a spring 29 tendingto move it into a position such as will allow seating of the valveelement 25 through a pipe 30.

The valve 24 is connected with the air supply pipe 6, and on the otherside of the valve element 25 a. second pipe 31 connects said valve withthe lower part of the diaphragm casing 13 as well as with the lower partof the diaphragm casing 19, the ar- 1 rangement being such that airunder pressure admitted to this pipe 31 will cause upward movement ofthe diaphragms of the casings 13 and 19 and corresponding upwardmovement of the rods 15 and 18.

The casing 23 below the diaphragm 27 is connected through a pipe 32 to asuitable source of fluid under pressure, such for extank 2 and includesa check valve 35 designed to prevent flow of air from the dia phragmcasing23 while permitting flow to said casing from the pipe 9. The pipe35 has also connected to it an adjustable escape valve or bleed 36designed to permit escape of air from said pipe and from the casing 23above the diaphragm, at a predetermined definite rate.

That portion of the casing 19 below the diaphragm is connected through apipe 37 with the pipe 31 and includes a check valve 38 for preventingflow of air from said casing back to the pipe 31 and, between this valveand said casing, has also connected an adjustable bleeder 39. The pipe31 likewise has connected with it a third bleeder 4C0.

WVith the above described arrangement of parts the valve 16 is closedand it it be assumed that the tank 33 is filled with liquid or hasliquid delivered to it, the resulting air under pressure in the pipe 32moves the diaphragm 27 upwardly in the casing 23 and unseats the valvemember 25, allowing air under pressure to pass from the pipeG throughthe pipe into pipes 31 and 37 and into the casing 19 below its diaphragm20. As a consequence said diaphragm moves upwardly against the action ofthe spring 22 and closes the exhaust valve element 17 of the valve 11.At the same time air will also pass from the pipe 31 into the casing 13below the diaphragm 1d and likewise raise this, causing upward movementor the rod 15 and opening of the movable element 16 of the valve 7.

Air under pressure is now free to pass from the supply tank or othersource 1 through the pipe 6 and valve 7 into the pipe 9 and tank 2,causing any liquid which may have been delivered to the latter to bedischarged through the pipe 5. The delivery oi air under pressure to thepipe 9 results in flow of air through the pipe to the casing 23 abovethe diaphragm 27, and the pressure of this air is suiiieient to resultin the downward movement 01 said diaphragm, with the result that the rod26 is moved down and the valve element 25 of the valve 24L is permittedto close.

There is now a definite amount oi air under pressure in the pipe 31 andthe bleeder 10 is so adjusted that this air will leak out at a definiterate and in a definite time will permit the diaphragm ll in the casing13 to return to its normal position. The re sulting downward movement ofthe rod 15 will now permitclosure of the element 16 of the valve 7, thuscutting off the flow of air to the tank -2. The bleeder 39 is so set asto likewise permit escape of air from the lower part of the casing 19 atsuch a rate that after the closure of the valve 7 the spring 22 will actto move the rod 18 and diaphragm 20 downwardly far enough to per mitopening of the exhaust valve element 17. The air under pressure in thetank 2 is now permitted to exhaust to the atmosphere so that liquid mayagain flew into it from the pipe 3threugh the check valve 1.

When the pressure of the air in the pipe 35 and upper part of thediaphragm casing 23 has fallen to a sutliciently low point, thecompressed air in the bell 34c and pipe 32 will again cause upwardmovement of the diaphragm 27 and unseating of the valve 25 with arepetition oi the above described cycle or operations.

in that form oi my invention shown in Fig. 4, I provide an air chamberll or other suitable container arranged to be supplied with air underpressure at definite intervals by any suitable means. This containerthrough a pipe 11 is connected to one end or a cylinder l2 having anannular seat 43 designed to cooperate with the suitably formed adjacentend of a piston it normally pressed toward said end by a spring mountedon the rod it connected to said piston. The latter is provided with alongitudinall extending annular port 47 opening on its cylindrical raceand through a passage 48 connecting with the head of said pistonadjacent the valve seat 4:3. In the walls ot the .nider are placed twoports 4:9 and 50 in such positions as to be successively placed incommunication with the port 47 in the piston as the latter is movedlongitudinally and in the present case upwardly, in the cylinder, andthe rate of flow through these ports and 50 may be regulated at will bymeans of needle valves respectively indicated at 51 and 52.

The cylinder 42 has mounted on or connected to its upper end a casing 53having a port 54: opening to the atmosphere, at second port 55 connectedto the device or container to be intermittently supplied with air underpressure and a third port 56 connected to a source of supply of airunder pressure. Between the ports 5 1- and is a passage 5'? designed tobe closed by a valve 58 carried on the upper end of the piston rod 416and into this passage extends the stem 59 of the valve 60 mounted tocontrol the flow of air from the port 56 to the port This stem is ofsuch a length that it will be engaged by the valve 53 and the valve (30will be unseated when said valve 58 moves into said passage. The valve60 is normally pressed toward its seat by a spring 61 and when unseatedby the stem may be moved into such position as to close a port 62connected with the air chamber ll for the purpose of supplying airthereto.

Under conditions of operation, when air under pressure is admitted tothe pipe 41,

ill)

it acts upon a limited portion of the lower face of the piston t lwithin the valve seat 43. lVhen said pressure has increased sufficientlyto overcome the force of the spring 15, the piston at is moved upward toa slight extent, thus permitting the air from the pipe 41 to act on theWhole of the lower face of said piston. As a result this latter movesupwardly in the cylinder 42, bringing the air port 47 into communicationwith the bleed port 49 and the continued upward movement of the pistonthereafter brings the port 47 into communication with the port 50. Atthe same time, the valve 58 on the piston rod enters and closes thepassage 57, thus cutting off the port 55 from the atmosphere andimmediately thereafter striking the stem 59 and unseating the valve 60.

Air is now free to flow from the supply port 56 through the port 55 tothe device to be actuated and if it be assumed that the supply of airunder pressure is cut 05 from the chamber 41 and pipe 41 as by theclosing of the port 62, it will be understood that by reason of theexcape of the air in said pipe and chamber through the ports 47 and- 50,the piston 44 will gradually move down in its cylinder 42 under theaction of the spring 45. The rate of this movement will depend upon theadjustment of the needle valve 52 and when it has progressedsufficiently far, the valve 60 will seat and cut off the flow of air tothe port 55.

In the mean time air will continue to leak through the port 49 so thatunder the action of the spring the piston 44 will move toward the lowerend of the cylinder 42 and ultimately withdraw the valve 58 from thepassage 57. Thereupon the port will be placed in communication with theport 54, allowing the air still under pressure in the device connectedto said port 55 to be exhausted. The continued escape of air through theport 49 will thereafter permit the piston 44 to engage the seat 43,whereupon the system will remain quiescent until air under pressure isagain delivered to the chamber 41 and pipe 41.

From the above description it will be appreciated that in both forms ofmy invention it is possible to accurately control or regulate the timeduring which air under pressure is permitted to flow to a tank, machineor other apparatus capable of utilizing it. By separate and independentmeans it is likewise possible to accurately determine and regulate thetime which shall elapse after the air supply is cut off before themachine, etc. is permitted to exhaust the air under pressure which itstill contains. In both cases the apparatus required is relativelysimple as well as rugged in construction and is capable of closeregulation to obtain the desired results.

I claim:

1. The combination in means for providing intermittent delivery of airunder pressure, of automatic mechanism comprising two devicesrespectively adapted to open and close the air supply and to open andclose the exhaust, and means including two independent bleeds forrespectively regulating the operations of the said devices.

2. The combination in means for providing intermittent delivery of airunder pressure, of automatic mechanism comprising two devicesrespectively adapted to open and close the air supply and to open andclose the exhaust, and means including two adjustable independent bleedsfor respectively regulating the operations of the said devices.

3. The combination in means for providing intermittent delivery of airunder pressure, of inlet and exhaust valves; and controlling means forgoverning said valves including independent bleeds set to cause saidvalves to act successively.

4. The combination in means for provid ing intermittent delivery of airunder pres sure, of inlet and exhaust valves; motor devices foractuating said valves; and independent bleeds set to predetermine thetimes of operation of said devices.

5. The combination in means for providing intermittent delivery of airunder pressure, of inlet and exhaust valves; air operated motor devicesfor actuating said valves respectively; and independent bleeds forgoverning the times of operation of said devices.

6. The combination in means for providing intermittent delivery of airunder pressure, of inlet and exhaust valves; air operated motor devicesfor actuating said valves respectively; independent bleeds for governingthe times of operation of said devices; with a pilot valve controllingsaid devices.

7. The combination in means for providing intermittent delivery of airunder pressure of inlet and exhaust valves; air operated motor devicesfor actuating said valves respectively; independent bleeds for governingthe times of operation of said devices; a pilot valve controlling saiddevices; and a bleed controlling the operation of said pilot valve.

ALBERT PRIESTMAN.

